The Newsletter of the Princeton Nassoons Alumni Association The Newsletter of theVolume Princeton 38, FallNassoons 2009 Alumni Association Volume 44, Fall 2011

DRAWN BY ALLEGIANCE... By Doug Roberts ‘97

Almost 150 Nassoons and their spouses, partners, and families Historian, Stephen Garrett '92—of Bill Soons '44, Dave Cist were “drawn by allegiance…” back to Princeton for the Nas- '42, Wat Stewart '45, and Dick Armstrong '46 discussing the soons 70th Reunion on April 1-2, 2011, where Song, Fun, and early years of the Nassoons, all of which provided a grand Cameraderie were enjoyed by all. The weekend actually be- introduction for what was an unforgettable day of singing. gan a little early for two groups of Nassoons—the Rich McGlynn '60—led 1954-1963 group, and a hearty bunch from Whether it was the crisp harmonies of the 1954-1963 Nas- the 1970s—who descended on Princeton a day early to enjoy soons’ set under the direction of Rich McGlynn, the inaugu- a mini-reunion and sing the favorites from their era. The ral performance of Kent Mullikin's 1960 Reunion Song by 1970's group (joined by "17th wheel," Yours Truly) actually the "Late 60s/Early 70s" group led by Bill Kaspers '70, the wandered up to Blair Arch to sing for a bit, and ended up be- upbeat arrangements by the 1970's 'Soons, the integration of ing the subject of a flashmob-like arch sing, where confused pop/rock influences with the 1980's group, the "Jamie Ran- undergraduates stopped to view the spectacle of a group of kin years” of the 1990s group, or the youthful exuberance guys ALMOST old enough to be their dads were singing un- on display from the 2001-2010 Nassoons, great music filled der an arch on a Thursday night for no apparent reason. the halls of Taplin Auditorium from start to finish. How- ever, the clear highlight for all of us was the opportunity to Friday's events kicked off with a registration in which your hear the First Generation of Nassoons, representing classes Reunion committee, (comprised of SFC warriors Pete from 1942-1953, and anchored by the sweet sounds of Daneker '95, Kin Lo '96, and yours truly) demonstrated why founding Nassoon, Jack Huyler '42, who sang what will go we did not and should not pursue careers in either event plan- down in history as, hands down, the BEST solo on “Teasin'/ ning or retail sales. Yet somehow, everybody registered, most Squeezin'“ that will ever be sung. [Hud Stoddard ‘42 and everyone ended up paying (you TJ's know who you are), and Jim Affleck ‘44 also planned to join Jack at the reunion but everybody ended up finding their way to their decade-group sadly were stranded in New England due to a bad storm. rehearsal rooms for the evening. The evening ended with an They were missed! Ed.] The afternoon finished with a informal gathering for "Crust Choos" in the Nassoon Room, short remembrance of Nassoons who have left us since our where we all had a chance to catch up, relive old times, find 65th Reunion, and moving and somber singing of the 1905 our “aways,” marvel at our hair- and waist-lines in the OJTs, Reunion song and Old Nassau. make sure that the Business Manager's chair was still properly supplied under the cushions, and, of course, "sing the old The evening ended with a lovely dinner right on campus at songs." Many of the undergraduates joined us as well. Prospect House, where Nassoons and their spouses, part- ners, and families enjoyed great wine, great food, and great Saturday was a full day, beginning with remarks from our conversation. After Sandy McAdoo led us through some fearless leader, Sandy McAdoo '71, some group singing, and a mandatory business, the Undergraduates blew the roof off "teaser" set from the Undergraduates, followed by segments of Prospect House with a stellar performance, showcasing of video conversations—brilliantly facilitated by Rich their newer arrangements, which was a pleasure to hear McGlynn and directed/produced by our inimitable Archivist / after two days of "singing the old songs." The group was especially strong when considering the great loss they sus- ** DUES REQUEST ** tained with the departure of the Class of 2010, and their brilliant freshmen are more than pulling their weight—they Once again we are asking for your support to help fund the sang solos and seem already to be a big part of the sound. ongoing activities of the PNAA, including the newsletter you But, once again, the evening was stolen by Jack Huyler '42, are reading now. Won’t you please lend a hand? Please send who traveled all the way from California—in his wheel- your check ($50 per year, $30 for the classes of 2002 –2011) chair, mind you—to give a presentation to the Nassoons and to our Treasurer, Bill Hammond ‘77, at 34 Colt Drive, Sum- the Nassoon Alumni Association: a silver cigarette box mit, NJ 07901-3040. Thanks very much for stepping up and given to him, at his wedding, by the other founding Nas- helping us pay the bills. soons some 65+ years ago. continued on page 4… NASSOON NOTES Page 2

ANSWERING THE CALL: Baseball Exec Turns Preacher — Ministers to A League of His Own By Krystal Knapp, for The Times of Trenton

(Thanks to George Bassett ’67 for sending an article from The Armstrong, 87, from his home as he reflected on his move Times of Trenton about Dick Armstrong ’46. Dick has writ- from the press box to the pulpit. “I was not what you ten a memoir about his days as public relations manager for would call a religious person,” he said. “I attended various the then Philadelphia Athletics and later the Baltimore Orioles, churches but was not an active member. I never attended and then his totally unexpected career switch to the ministry. Sunday School, and I’d never read the Bible.” Dick, as most Nassoons know, wrote "Tigertown Blues” and recently returned to Princeton to join us at our 70th Reunion.) Over the years, people often asked about Armstrong’s baseball career and the decision to make a shift to the min- Richard Armstrong's life in professional baseball istry. Wanting to preserve his story for is one full of firsts, though not the kind that make family and friends, Armstrong, an it into the baseball record books. The Princeton emeritus professor of ministry and University graduate, Class of 1946, became the evangelism at Princeton Theological first full-time public relations manager for the Seminary, decided to write a memoir, Philadelphia Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles. “A Sense of Being Called,” just re- He conducted the first formal poll of baseball fans leased by Wipf and Stock Publishers. in Baltimore after working as a Gallup pollster, Already, it has been placed in the ar- and — something that isn’t known by many in the chives of the Baseball Hall of Fame in baseball world — he created the first performing Cooperstown. mascot almost a decade before any other major league team had one. The book is a love story—about Arm- strong’s love for baseball, his love for Then Armstrong’s life took a turn that led to a God, and the love he and his wife, first of another sort. As much as he loved working Margie, have shared over the years that in professional baseball, he experienced an over- helped the couple endure the death of a whelming call to become a minister and gave up young child. Sports fans will enjoy his life with the Orioles to attend Princeton Theo- reading his firsthand accounts about logical Seminary, becoming the first (and thought to be the baseball in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Armstrong, only) front office management employee in the major league to who works out at the gym at Windrows almost every day enter the ministry. and plays tennis twice a week, is the lone surviving former top-tier executive of both the old Philadelphia Athletics “I was the most unlikely candidate to receive such a call to and the 1953-55 Baltimore Orioles. ministry and thought God was making a terrible mistake,” said continued on page 4...

RIDING IN STYLE: THE BIRTH OF “THE BEAST” By Phil Walkley ‘67

(Inspired by Erich Everbach’s [‘58] recent tale of the Baritone Car, Phil Walkley ‘67 shares below the story of the birth of the ill-fated “Limo” that served, ever haltingly, as transportation for the ‘Soons during the 1965-66 school year. Thanks, Flip.)

Few members of the Nassoon family have needed as much fixing up as did The Beast of Marstons Mills—a 1952 Cadillac limousine which rolled onto campus in the fall of 1965. During our practice week that summer, we realized that we were a car short for road trips. Since I had worked at a gas station in Hyannis that summer, I felt that, with my boss Sarge’s help, I could find a suitable addition to the ‘Soon fleet. Sure enough, Sarge said his retired cousin, Dutch, who owned On and Off Cape Limousine (aka “Off and On Limo” for its sketchy off season service) had a car for sale well suited to our needs.

Arriving at Dutch’s small fruit and vegetable farm in Marstons Mills, I found The Beast up on blocks by the side of the road decorated with baskets of produce and pot- ted geraniums. Dutch assured me that the vehicle still ran and but that, while you could hear the radio over the muffler noise, heat and air conditioning were fond memories. He also allowed that the 40,000 or so miles showing on the odometer was probably at least the second time around. In short order a deal was struck, and for $200 Dutch agreed to clean out the spiders and field mouse residue and let me take the rims to Sarge’s Mobil to shoe The Beast. NASSOON NOTES Page 3

“AND SO, IT’S OVER…”

The vocal world lost two of its icons this year with the passing of Bob Flanigan and Ross Barbour, founding members of The Four Freshmen.

Bob Flanigan, passed on May 15, 2011, at his home in Las Vegas. He was 84. Bob, the group’s top tenor with the distinctive lead voice, was the spiritual leader of every Four Fresh- men combination up until his retirement from performing with the group in 1992. He then became the group's manager, and later, having turned the management reins over to Interna- tional Ventures, Inc., remained actively involved in promoting the group.

Ross Barbour, the last of the founding members of The Four Freshmen and a prolific arranger for the group, passed away on August 20, 2011 after a long battle with cancer. He was 82.

The Four Freshmen were one of the top vocal groups of the 1950s, and formed the bridge be- tween 1940s ensembles like the Mel-Tones and harmony-based rock & roll bands such as the Beach Boys. Founded by two brothers, Ross and Don Barbour, the group's roots go back to the late 1940s and the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music at Butler University in Indiana. Bob Flanigan In their 63-year history, the Four Freshmen released over 50 recordings, achieved 70 top-selling singles, and earned six Granny nominations. Their first hit single was "It's a Blue World," released in 1952, and they enjoyed further success with "Day By Day" (1955) and "Graduation Day" (1956). The Four Freshmen are the longest lasting vocal harmony group still performing world-wide, and the legacy of Bob Flanigan and Ross Barbour live on through the vocal harmonies of the very talented current group. As the Wall Street Journal exclaimed, "Long live The Four Freshmen... May they never graduate.”

THE UNIQUENESS OF THE FOUR FRESHMEN

The Four Freshmen were not the first successful vocal Top tenor Bob Flanigan had such a high voice with a huge group. They were just the most innovative and had a pro- range, so the Freshmen departed from another tradition of all found influence on other groups of their era and thereafter, other vocal groups: they sang with the tenor on melody and an influence still being felt today. Before the Freshmen, with open chords spread over as much as two octaves, often most vocal groups were part of a band. Tommy Dorsey had leaving out the tonic. Most vocal groups are used to hearing the Pied Pipers, Woody Herman had the Mel Tones (with the tonic of the chord in the bass section. The Freshmen did Mel Torme), Glen Miller had the Modernaires. Then there not even sing the tonic in most of their arrangements, making was the Stan Kenton Band, which played progressive the bass part difficult to sing for the traditionally trained bass jazz. The Four Freshmen developed their sound by structur- singer. This is difficult for the other singers as well—since ing their chords (with their hard-to-sing dissonants) and us- there is no reference point in the chord and they must “hear” ing their voices (punching every note of a moving line) to the tonic in their minds. What this does for the sound how- sound like the trombone section of the Kenton band. ever is allow it to “ring”—to allow overtones to be heard. continued on page 4...

Sarge was retired from the army and was, in his own mind, a self-made mini-mogul of great ambition and guile. A ruthless seller of largely unnecessary parts and repairs, he preyed on overwrought women ferrying cartloads of boisterous kids to and from the beach. His fondest memory was that of convincing a Kennedy clan summer girl that she needed a new radiator cap for her VW bus. With all this in mind, I should have been more cautious about buying tires from him. We were on a tight budget, though, and when Sarge offered four white sidewall tires that would fit the rims (but with a “wee bit” narrower tread than the originals), I bit. The tires were probably meant for a Nash Rambler, and the visual effect was that of an elephant wearing ballet slippers. (Today, The Beast would probably be more aptly named The Black Swan.) The handling character- istics were uncertain in dry conditions and downright scary in wet.

Anyway, with luck and equal quantities of gas, oil and water, The Beast made it from the Cape to Princeton, limping onto campus to begin its storied, if somewhat brief, career in the service of the Princeton Nassoons. And limp it did, for one brief academic school year, costing us a small fortune but paying us back with its frayed elegance...and extraordinary legroom.

Little did we know what a rarity we had—only 800 1952 Caddy limos were made. Probably would be worth a fortune today! NASSOON NOTES c/o Roger Bates ‘67 419 Desert Falls Drive N. Palm Desert, CA 92211

NASSOON NOTES P a g e 4

Drawn by Allegiance, continued… Four Freshmen, continued…

There was nary a dry eye in the room as Jack made his presen- The Four Freshmen sang very complex chords, including tation and talked movingly about what it meant to him to have their trademark “peg chord” with the 5th is in the top the Nassoons at his wedding, as those of us who are married voice, the 9th in the second voice, the major 7th in the thought about our own weddings and the roles that Nassoons third voice and the 3rd in the bass. When the two middle played in them. parts go down a whole step, you have an inverted 6th, another Freshmen trademark. The open chords, with the The entire weekend was a time to reflect upon how privileged long drawn out lead note held while the middle parts are we are to belong to this marvelous tradition: the great harmo- moving with staccato-accented precision, was one of the nies, the brilliant arrangements, and the ability to come to- more distinctive features of Four Freshmen arrange- gether and continue to make music even as our breath support ments. and vocal chords deteriorate are a great gift. But the great friendships—with Nassoon classmates/ brothers, with those The Freshmen set up certain chord structures with unison who used to pile us with those we used to pile, and now, with singing. Unison singing is very difficult because of vi- those who inhabited 100 1901 Hall many years before or after brato. It is hard to blend when one person has more vi- us—are the most important gift the Nassoons have given us. brato than the rest. Brothers Don and Ross sang the uni- The 70th Reunion was a great reminder of all that is great in son things. They used one microphone and each sang life. Thank you to all who made the journey to Princeton to into the side of the same mic, with their heads very close join us, and we're all looking forward to an even greater 75th. together, listening closely to each other as they sang. They used a soft, breathy sound, letting air escape (Thanks Doug—and Pete & Kin!—for a terrific article and for as they sang. This made for a perfect unison sound. your extraordinary efforts in organizing our 70th Reunion.) Another unique aspect of the Four Freshmen sound was that they really did not attempt to blend. What they had is an incredible balance to their chords. If you hear four Answering the Call, continued… trombones playing a chord, you will hear all four notes of the chord. This is balance. Blend is several voices A Baltimore native, he grew up in a baseball family, played sounding as one. The Four Freshmen are masters of ball at Princeton, was a minor league pitcher, and then served blend in their unison singing, but in their group parts they as the business manager of a minor league team in Ohio before want every note— every voice—to be heard. becoming a manager at Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics and later the Orioles. He organized the first public relations Finally, there was an urgency, a passion to their departments for both. sound. They seldom sang softly but, if it was a love song, it was always sung with tenderness. It was intense. It Well into a successful career that had Armstrong dreaming of was passionate. It was wonderful! becoming the general manager of a major league team some day, he experienced a spiritual revelation he calls his (Your editor sheepishly admits that, while he saved this article “Damascus Road,” a reference to the epiphany of the Apostle years ago, he neglected to note its source. He believes it came Paul, who changed his ways after a meeting with the resur- from a newsletter published by the Four Freshmen Society.) rected spirit of Jesus. One night while driving with his wife in Florida for spring training, Armstrong was suddenly seized by an overpowering feeling that God was telling him he must be- Armstrong hopes that, by sharing the story of his own come a minister. He pulled over on the side of the road to proc- journey, others will find inspiration for their own lives. ess what he was experiencing. His book describes in detail “I hope readers will think about how God is at work in how he left baseball to become a Presbyterian minister, a job in our lives and take seriously that everyone has a value that which he still finds joy, serving as the minister of worship for God has need of and there is a use for everyone,” he said. the Pennswood Village Interdenominational Congregation in “My calling is an example of how God works in people’s Newtown, Pa. lives, in any field.”